A family business is benefitting from plans to build East Midland Railway’s new fleet of 33 five-carriage intercity trains.
Baker Bellfield, which is based in Telford and is part of the Hitachi Rail UK supply chain, won the contract to supply EMR’s new Aurora fleet with bespoke tables.
Management said the deal helped to create six new roles in the business and support it throughout the pandemic.
The tables are shipped up to Hitachi’s factory in Newton Aycliffe in County Durham to be installed into the new Aurora units.
The new fleet will run on the Midlands mainline from London, through the East Midlands and on to Yorkshire.
They are being built to run on electricity – using the overhead electric lines on the southern part of the track – and diesel on the northern part.
The Government has belated confirmed that it will now electrify the rest of the line north of Market Harborough to Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield, although the plans will take many years to complete.
The Baker Bellfield contract will account for a significant part of its revenue over the next two years, providing it with enough certainty to secure £500,000 of investment in new machinery.
EMR said when they enter service in 2023, the Aurora trains will offer significant advances on its existing fleet, with passengers benefiting from more seats and modern interiors.
The trains will also have air conditioning, free wi-fi throughout, plug sockets and better passenger information screens.
Robert Wilkin, business development manager at Baker Bellfield, said: “Contracts such as the Aurora one are vital for companies like us and we are very proud to be working on it and helping to bring these exciting new trains to the UK.
“The tables in the new Aurora fleet are amongst the safest in the world and have been made to meet the new higher rail safety standards.
“All accessible folding tables will have our new generation “soft close” hinge system that allows the table to return to its down position in a controlled fashion, while first-class passengers will get the wow factor when they see the Italian made real wood laminates we use on our tables – which are manufactured by our partners Puricelli – who make some of the greenest tables on the market.”
Lisa Angus, transitions and projects director at East Midlands Railway, said: “The Aurora contract is helping to support and grow UK manufacturing jobs across the Midlands and the UK and Baker Bellfield is a great example.
“Our team, along with Hitachi Rail, has worked closely with the company to make sure the tables are exactly what our customers require and we are looking forward to seeing them being used when our new fleet begins service in 2023.”
Amy Webb, head of programme at Hitachi Rail, said: “It’s fantastic the manufacturing of Hitachi Rail trains is supporting jobs and growth in the Midlands.
"Supporting SME jobs neatly epitomises the benefits of Hitachi Rail’s decision to prioritise UK suppliers.
“Having invested over £1.8 billion in the UK supply chain ensures Hitachi Rail has a positive impact right across the country.”
